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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Land O’ Lakes band trip to states a long time coming

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It’s been over a decade since the Land O’ Lakes High School band performed at states.

That wait is over.

The school’s symphonic band will join more than 40 other Florida high schools on April 23 at the State North High School Concert Band Music Performance Assessment (MPA) at Flagler Palm Coast High School, in Palm Coast.

Mitchell High School is the only other public school in Pasco County performing at the meet.

The Land O’ Lakes High School band will perform at the state meet for the first time since 1994. The school’s symphonic band will join more than 40 other Florida high schools on April 23 at the State North High School Concert Band Music Performance Assessment (MPA) at Flagler Palm Coast High School, in Palm Coast. (Courtesy of Johnathon Mulder)

Land O’ Lakes qualified for the state competition after earning straight superior ratings—the highest mark possible — at a district MPA meet in early March at Hernando High School.

The program has met state performance requirements for the meet in previous years, but hasn’t made the trip in 14 years, for a variety of reasons.

First-year Land O’ Lakes band director Johnathon Mulder said one of his main objectives heading into the school year was to take the band to states, if the ensemble qualified.

“This is a big deal to the program because they haven’t gone to the tournament in a really long time,” said Mulder, who previously served as a band teacher for six years at Lakeland’s Kathleen Middle School.

The Land O’ Lakes band consists of more than 70 students, including 19 seniors.

With such a large group, the school district’s fine arts program coordinator, Tom Viking recently helped offset the cost for a second school bus so each student could make the three-hour trip to Palm Coast.

But, the band director also wants to provide meals for each student for the daylong affair. He has set a fundraising goal of $1,100 by April 13.

Band students also have been given sponsorship sheets to raise money.

“We’re just looking for the community to kind of rally behind us and support us, and help those families that can’t fully afford meals,” Mulder said.

At the state competition, Land O’ Lakes will play three prepared pieces before a panel of judges made up of college professors and retired music directors.

With it being the band’s first trip to state since 2004, Mulder has set reasonable expectations, hoping students relish the experience and just try their best.

“While it would be wonderful to go and get straight superiors again at the state level, this is a new experience for all of us,” Mulder said. “For us, what’s going to be successful is going there, preparing the best we can, and putting on the best performance possible. If that results in straight superiors, awesome. And, if it doesn’t, then you know what…I just hope we walk off the stage happy with what we did.”

Besides reaching states, the band performed well throughout the year at events like Lion’s Pride Festival at King High School and Festival of Winds at the University of South Florida, Mulder said.

Individual students were named to all-state and all-county teams, too.

Mulder credited the students’ hard work and dedication, and faith in him as a bandleader, as some reasons for success.

“They blow my mind a lot,” the teacher said. “Since Day One, I’ve kind of had it in my head that this is one of those bands in Pasco County that should be phenomenal.”

Senior band captain Jacob Barber is excited for the group to be making its first trip to states.

“As seniors, the fact we get to go to state MPA is a pretty big deal; it feels pretty good,” said Barber, who has had three different band directors in four years.

“I feel like there’s been a lot more growth this year than there has been in previous years… so I think we’re headed in the right direction.”

Junior saxophone leader Josh Mellin said, “It’s humbling because we haven’t been to a prestigious thing like this in a while.

“Mr. Mulder this year has introduced a lot of new opportunities to us to take as musicians,” added Mellin, whose father is Ric Mellin, principal at Land O’ Lakes High.

“The experience for this year has been unlike my freshman or sophomore year. I’ve had a lot more fun. I’ve seen a lot of people grow, and I hope that (Mulder) stays here for a long time,” he added.

For questions and to donate to the band trip, email .

Anonymous donations also can be mailed to the school, at 20325 Gator Lane in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, 34638.

Published April 5, 2018

Pasco cuts ribbon on kitchen to feed seniors

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Nutritious meals that are served to Pasco County seniors will now be made locally.

The meals previously were prepared in St. Petersburg and then trucked over to Pasco County.

Now, the food preparation will be done in a new commercial kitchen at the Land O’ Lakes Senior Center.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Wells Jr., center, holding scissors, helped cut the ribbon on the new commercial kitchen at the Land O’ Lakes Senior Center. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

Pasco County officials cut the ribbon on the new kitchen, at 6801 Wisteria Loop in Land O’ Lakes, on March 26.

About 1,000 meals a day will be produced on-site from the refurbished kitchen.

Some seniors will eat at that center, and some will be served at the other senior centers in Pasco. But, the majority of the meals will be delivered to homebound seniors.

A contract with St. Petersburg-based GA Foods calls for up to 1,600 meals a day to be prepared at the senior center’s kitchen. Pasco County commissioners approved the contract in September 2017.

State funds of about $250,000 paid for the project.

The upgrade in meal preparation and delivery is a public-private partnership with GA Foods, Pasco County’s Elderly Nutrition Division, Pasco County Schools, and area businesses.

The state-of-the-art commercial equipment is from in-kind donations from the school district, and businesses, including Welbilt.

“It’s a great collaborative effort,” said Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Wells Jr. “The goal is that no senior has to wait for service. That’s the goal for me.”

Wells cut the ribbon along with other county and school officials, and county commissioners.

With meals prepared locally, Pasco anticipates an annual cost savings of more than $120,000, and a decrease in the home-delivered waiting list.

Data has shown that one in six seniors in Pasco are food-insecure.

“The Land O’ Lakes kitchen project is an initiative that we’ve strived for several years to realize,” Gabriel Papadopoulos, Pasco’s community services director, said in a news release on the event.

Feeding Pasco’s Elderly is a nonprofit organization that supports funding to Pasco County’s Senior Services Division. The agency helped secure the state funds for the grant.

Gov. Rick Scott previously vetoed the funds in 2015, but the renewed request made it into the fiscal year 2017 state budget.

Published April 4, 2018

Smithsonian’s sports exhibit stops at local museum

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Jim “Mudcat” Grant is a Lacoochee native son who blazed a trail as the first African-American to pitch a 20-game winning season in the American League.

His 1965 win/loss record for the Minnesota Twins was 21-7.

Grant, now age 82, lives in California.

He won two World Series games, also in 1965, pitching for the Twins against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Stephanie Black, executive director of Pioneer Florida Museum, shows off the Smithsonian traveling exhibit, ‘Hometown Teams: How Sports Shaped America.’ (Kathy Steele)

During one of those wins, he powered a three-run homer over the fence. He was named The Sporting News American League Pitcher of the Year.

Grant’s career began in 1958 with the Cleveland Indians, about a decade after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in major league baseball. He pitched his last game in 1971, pitching for the Oakland Athletics and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Mudcat is a name given to Grant by another ballplayer who reportedly thought he was from Mississippi, and Mudcat fit.

Grant’s star quality as an athlete is now on view at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, in Dade City.

His career is part of the Smithsonian Museum’s traveling exhibit, “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shaped America,” which runs through April 28.

Baseball, and Grant’s achievements, are just one of the highlights of the exhibit, which covers every sport imaginable.

There are interactive videos and trivia on baseball, football, bowling, soccer, cheerleading, roller blading, basketball, surfing and much more.

“There are all different sports,” said Stephanie Black, the museum’s executive director. “Everybody can come in here and see something different.”

The interactive nature of the exhibit is meant to get conversations going about the impact of sports in American culture.

Items on display include a Wheaties box with soccer star Brandi Chastain; videos with marching bands and mascots; a mock-up of bleachers with seat cushions that reveal answers to baseball trivia; photographs; trophies; sports magazines; and, audio of athletes and fans talking about their favorite memories.

A lecture series is planned, too
On April 14 at 2 p.m., University of Florida history professor Steve Noll will be the featured speaker. Anyone wearing a sports team’s jersey or T-shirt will get a 25 percent discount on the museum’s fee.

Other lectures are tentative, but information can be found at PioneerFloridaMuseum.org.

It’s a true traveling exhibit.

The Smithsonian traveling exhibit, ‘Hometown Teams: How Sports Shaped America,’ is the second Smithsonian exhibit to visit the Pioneer Florida Museum.

Once “Hometown Teams” leaves Dade City, it heads to the Dunedin Historic Museum, among other stops in Florida.

This is only the second Smithsonian exhibit for the Florida Pioneer Museum. The first was last year when the museum featured “The Way We Worked,” a look at the working life of Americans from the mid-19th century to the late 20th century.

The exhibits are part of the Museum on Main Street series, sponsored by the Smithsonian in partnership with state and local organizations.

The Florida Humanities Council selected the Pioneer museum to host Hometown Teams, and awarded a $5,000 grant. A portion of the grant will help sponsor a Dade City Little League team.

Host sites are encouraged to reach out locally for athletes who can be featured in the exhibit.

It was special to see Mudcat play
Most of the memorabilia from Grant’s career came from family members who still live in the area.

“We were fortunate that they were able to be so involved,” Black said.

A few items also are from the collection of artifacts on loan to the museum from alumni of Moore Academy, and the later schools bearing the names of Moore-Mickens.

“We’ve had a tremendous response from the community,” Black said. “Everybody is so excited about this.”

A life-size cutout of Jim ‘Mudcat’ Grant is featured in a display highlighting Grant’s career in major league baseball. Grant grew up in Lacoochee.

Grant’s twin sister, Johnnie Mae Lopey, remembers her first time watching her brother pitch professionally in Cleveland. She went there with their mother, Viola Grant.

A scoreboard announcement splashed her name onto the screen as Grant’s twin sister.

“That was special to see him play,” she recalled.

Through the years, Grant has left memorabilia with her, including a life-size cutout, which is part of the exhibit.

His nephew, Jamie Lopey, described Grant as a “family guy” who always encourages youth to play sports, especially baseball.

Grant is co-author of “The Black Aces,” a book that chronicles 15 black pitchers who had 20-game winning seasons in the majors. He also includes some who played in the Negro League.

Johnnie Mae Lopey said her brother had challenges even a decade after Robinson began playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

On one trip through Georgia, team members stopped for lunch, and Grant was told to go to the back door.

“His teammates said if he has to go to the back door, we’ll all go to the back door,” she said.

Grant has been back to Lacoochee on several occasions. Mudcat Grant Boulevard, near the entrance to Stanley Park, is named for him.

Local businessman Jesse Stanley, for whom the park is named, was an early booster of Grant when he played baseball at mini-camps, and was signed by the Cleveland Indians.

Johnnie Mae Lopey said her brother never let being from a small town hold him back. And, she said, that’s his message to youngsters still.

“Keep on practicing and try to be somebody,” she said.

What: Smithsonian Exhibit, “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shaped America”
Where: Pioneer Florida Museum, 15622 Pioneer Museum Road, Dade City
When: Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Exhibit ends April 28.
Cost: $10, adults; $8, seniors; $5, students including college students with valid school identification. No charge for children under age 5, and for active duty military with identification (with immediate family).
Info: (352) 567-0262 or PioneerFloridaMuseum.org

Published April 4, 2018

Ridge Road extension is a step closer

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Pasco County is placing a future order to buy wetlands adjacent to the Connerton Preserve to offset wetlands that would be lost due to construction of the Ridge Road extension.

The Pasco County Commission approved a wetlands credit purchase agreement with Ecosystem Investment Partners Credit Co., for up to $4.4 million at its March 27 meeting in New Port Richey.

The item, part of the commission’s consent agenda, was approved with no discussion.

Richard Stauffer studied a map at the Serenova Tract at the Starkey Wilderness Preserve prior to a rally and nature walk by opponents of the Ridge Road extension in February. (File)

The total purchase price would be split between Pasco County and the Florida Turnpike Enterprise, which also needs wetlands credits for the project.

The county’s share would be about $3.2 million. The state road agency would reimburse for the remainder.

The agreement locks in a purchase price and ensures the credits will be available if, and when, the United States Army Corps of Engineers issues a permit.

The county has sought approval for the road project for nearly two decades. A decision from the Army Corps is anticipated in coming months.

The proposed project is for an 8-mile extension of Ridge Road which now dead-ends at Moon Lake Road.

The new road would link Moon Lake in west Pasco to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes, across from an entrance into the master-planned community of Connerton.

The county puts a high priority on the Ridge Road extension as an evacuation route during hurricane evacuations.

But, environmental activists oppose the road extension, which would cut through a portion of the Serenova Preserve.

Community activist Dan Callaghan called the project the “zombie highway to nowhere” during public comment portion of the March 27 meeting.

Callaghan is a member of the Save Serenova Coalition. The Sierra Club is among 30 area groups included in the coalition.

Attorneys for the Sierra Club have submitted documentation to the Corps of Engineers opposing the Ridge Road extension.

Opponents maintain that the county isn’t being transparent on the final costs of the road work, which they contend could reach $150 million.

“Who will be the first to say enough to this boondoggle?” Callaghan said.

County officials have disputed the coalition’s data on the construction costs.

The wetlands credits would come from the Old Florida Mitigation Bank, located south of State Road 52 and east of U.S. 41, adjacent to the Connerton Preserve.

According to county documents, a construction start is scheduled for winter 2018, and a completion by winter 2021.

Construction would be in two phases, with the first phase from Moon Lake to the east side of Suncoast Parkway. The cost is estimated at $77 million, according to county documents.

Published April 4, 2018

The American flag, in all its glory

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As part of its Florida Conversations series, the Tampa Bay History Center will host “Finding Our Fabric: Old Glory,” taking a look at the history of the United States flag.

Sponsored by the Bank of America, the exhibit, “American Flags: The Stars & Stripes in American History & Culture,” is based on one of the most comprehensive collections of American flags in the country, collected by Dr. Peter J. Keim. Keim has collected flags for more than 40 years, and has exhibited in museums across the country.

The showcase features textiles, artwork and memorabilia exploring the history and context of the American flag.

(Courtesy of the Tampa Bay History Center)

The flag’s history includes iconic moments of revolution, union, war, protest and patriotism, and was an ever-evolving symbol that reflected the growth of the nation prior to 1960.

It wasn’t until 1960 that the standardized American flag — with 50 stars and 13 stripes —appeared.

The exhibit has more than 20 original flags on display, some dating back to the 1790s, and a 27-star flag signifying Florida’s admission into the Union.

Also included will be original artwork, such as Andy Warhol’s print, “Moonwalk,” and “John’s Flag” by Jasper Johns; and photography from the 1960s and Sept. 11, 2001 that illustrated the symbolic power of the Stars and Stripes.

Leading up to the show, Dr. Keim will present a lecture on April 11 at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free.

The history center is at 801 Old Water St., in Tampa. The exhibit will run through July.

For information, visit TampaBayHistoryCenter.org, or call (813) 228-0097.

Published April 4, 2018

Sheriff’s Office adds policing advisor

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The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is taking a closer look at its policing practices, as a measure to maintain transparency and openness in dealing with citizens.

To do so, the agency has appointed general counsel Lindsay Moore as its first constitutional policing advisor.

As part of her new role, Moore’s primary duties are to to ensure the agency follows best practices and procedures in the arena of search-and-seizure; use of force; detention operations; profiling issues; citizen contacts; arrests; and, custody operations.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s has appointed general counsel Lindsay Moore as the agency’s first constitutional policing advisor. Moore will be responsible for regularly reviewing agency policies and procedures to ensure they align with constitutional case rulings. (Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)

She’s also responsible for regularly reviewing agency policies and procedures to ensure they align with constitutional case rulings.

If laws and case precedent change, Moore will publish alerts and coordinate trainings with members of the agency.

“These are all things that we’re already doing, but this is going to be codifying these things into one cohesive program,” Moore said.

Moore is a former associate attorney at a civil litigation law firm specializing in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. She also is a former assistant state’s attorney with the First Judicial Circuit of Florida, where she prosecuted domestic violence cases, crimes against children, and felonies.

As an extra measure to enhance constitutional policing efforts, the Sheriff’s Office also appointed Capt. Eric Seltzer to serve as a liaison between other criminal justice system partners, including the county state’s attorney’s office efforts. He’ll also provide oversight for new training measures.

The agency is using existing resources to fund the new advisory roles.

Originally developed by the Los Angeles Police Department, constitutional policing is a growing trend nationwide where law enforcement agencies proactively work to protect the civil rights of the citizens they police.

Also known as “legal policing,” constitutional policing cooperates with the parameters set by the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions, and the many court decisions that have defined in greater detail what the text of the Constitution means in terms of the everyday practices of policing.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said adhering to constitutional policing should yield more prosecutable cases and fewer citizen complaints of possible unlawful discrimination and harassment by deputies.

“We have to be by the book in everything we do. We’re not just sitting back and waiting for a complaint to come in. We’re going to proactively look to make sure we’re doing everything the right way, all the time,” Nocco explained.

“It’s going to make us better deputies and better people out there serving the community,” he said.

Published April 4, 2018

Zephyrhills voters head to the polls

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Voters in Zephyrhills will decide the outcome of two city council seats in an election set for April 10.

In District 3, Devin J. Alexander, Cory P. Sommers and Jodi Wilkeson are competing for the seat vacated by Kenneth Compton, who chose not to seek re-election.

In District 4, incumbent Charles E. Proctor will face challenger William D. Seville.

Brian Corley, Pasco County supervisor of elections

Voters can pick up carry-out absentee ballots through April 9, at Zephyrhills City Hall, 5344 Ninth St.

On April 10, voters must cast their ballots between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. at Alice Hall Community Center, 38116 Fifth Ave., in Zephyr Park.

Although voter turnout is historically low for municipal elections, Brian E. Corley, supervisor of elections for Pasco County, thinks there could be an uptick in participation this year.

Voters “appear to be a little more energized than in the past, which certainly makes me a happy camper,” Corley said.

Plus, there’s a sizable number of voters who, for the first time, requested Vote by Mail ballots for the 2016 election cycle, leading up to the presidential and general election, Corley said. They requested ballots through every election for two cycles, he said.

These voters typically don’t vote in city elections, but ballots have been mailed to them.

So, now, “literally, all they have to do is fill in a couple of ovals, and drop it in the mail, or get it back to our office by 7 p.m. on the 10th, and it will obviously count.”

Corley finds it ironic that voter turnout “is through the roof” for elections when voters are choosing the nation’s president, but local elections have low turnouts.

“Your city council members — those are the ones you pass by, going to church, going to Walmart. They make very important decisions that deal with the future of your city. It really kind of baffles me that people don’t get involved in coming out to vote in those elections,” Corley said.

“They need to get off the sidelines. They need to get in the game and have their voices heard,” he added.

Meanwhile, voters won’t need to do a thing in Dade City, San Antonio or St. Leo on election day.

The results of those are already known — since the candidates in those races drew no opposition.

In Dade City, Scott Black and Camille S. Hernandez won seats on the City Commission.

In San Antonio, Elayne Bassinger, Sarah Schrader and Eric C. Stallworth won seats on the City Commission.

And, in St. Leo, Donna H. DeWitt, James E. Hallett and Richard Christmas won seats on the Town Commission.

Published April 4, 2018

Club meetings planned, endorsements announced

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Upcoming club meetings

Land O’ Lakes Democrats
The Land O’ Lakes Democratic Club will host Stephen Perenich, who is running for U.S. Congress in Florida District 12, at the club’s April 4 meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m. The club meets at Brick City Eatery, 16540 Pointe Village Drive in Lutz.

Wesley Chapel Republican Club
The Wesley Chapel Republican Club meets April 12 at 6:30 pm at Lexus of Wesley Chapel, 5350 Eagleston Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. The guest speaker will be State Sen. Wilton Simpson. There will be coffee and desserts. There is no admission charge. For more information, contact Peter Cracchiolo at (813) 360-9813 or .

Republican Club of Central Pasco
Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley will speak at Republican Club of Pasco County’s meeting on April 23. The club encourages anyone that seeks to be involved in the political process to attend. It meets at Copperstone Executive Suites, 3632 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. A social begins at 6:30 p.m., and the business meeting starts at 7 p.m. For more information, call (813) 996-3011.

Trinity Democratic Club
The Trinity Democratic Club welcomes Melissa Erickson, co-founder and executive director of the Alliance for Public Schools (All4Schools.org), as guest speaker at its April 25 meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m. The group meets at Fox Hollow Golf Club, 10050 Robert Trent Jones Parkway in Trinity. Doors open at 5 p.m., for those wish to purchase dinner and/or drinks. For more information, call (415) 609-3633 or email .

Endorsements

  • #VOTEPROCHOICE has endorsed Kelly Smith, who is running in the District 2 race of the Pasco County Commission. Smith supports reproductive rights in Florida, according to an announcement from her campaign.
  • The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 29 Labor Unit has endorsed Mike Moore, who is running for re-election in the District 2 race of the Pasco County Commission, according to an announcement from his campaign.

Published April 4, 2018

County commissioners plan future road projects

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Pasco County commissioners favor a pair of road projects for segments of Curley Road and Prospect Road that are aimed at handling more traffic in a rapidly developing area of the county.

The roadwork is part of a network of projects, by the county and the Florida Department of Transportation, to improve connectivity with State Road 52, Clinton Avenue, Curley and Prospect roads.

Residents check out proposed road improvements in northeast Pasco County. (File)

In the next 20 to 30 years, traffic counts in the area are expected to triple, according to data from the road studies.

Road widening, realigned designs, and a roundabout are on the drawing board.

County commissioners reviewed two traffic studies and voted on recommended projects at their March 14 meeting in Dade City.

An open house for the Prospect Road/Happy Hill Road Route Study was held in 2017 and was attended by more than 50 people.

County commissioners considered four construction alternatives, as well as a no-build option.

One alternative shifted the road east; another went west; a third also went west, but with a roundabout. A fourth modified the westward option with the roundabout to avoid taking right of way from properties on the east side of Happy Hill Road.

The County Commission approved the modified option, as recommended by HDR, the study’s consultants.

The adjustment to Happy Hill eliminated seven parcels from a potential list of right of way purchases. Consultants said that was possible only with a roundabout.

An initial design with bicycle lanes striped off on the road shoulder and 5-foot sidewalks didn’t please Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

She asked consultants to consider a multi-use trail, on at least one side of the road, and to think about a link with the proposed Orange Belt trail. The bicycle lanes would be insufficient, she said.

“That doesn’t work for our families,” Starkey said. “They’re just not going to put their kids on the road.”

By 2041, traffic is expected to triple to about 24,000 vehicles per day, according to the study.

County commissioners also looked at two alternatives recommended in the Curley Road North Route Study.

The study was initially done in 2005, but was updated last year by URS Corporation Southern. It looked at Curley Road, from north of Wells Road to north of a realignment of State Road 52.

One alternative widened Curley Road to four lanes by acquiring right of way on both sides of the road, but generally follows the existing route. The second took a major share of right of way from the east side of Curley Road, from Wells Road to Kiefer Road. From there to McCabe Road, right of way would come from both sides of Curley, with the four-lane segment transitioning to two lanes north of McCabe Road.

Recommendations also were made on traffic signals versus a roundabout where Curley Road, Prospect Road and Mirada Boulevard meet.

Mirada Road is a new road that is part of the master-planned community of Mirada, which is within the Connected City corridor.

More than 60 area residents attended an open house in 2017 to look at maps, and offer public comment.

County commissioners opted for the second alternative, and the roundabout.

Published March 28, 2018

Pasco projects win big in 2019 state budget

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Gov. Rick Scott signed off on an $88.7 billion state budget for fiscal year 2019, and had a light touch with his veto pen.

He cut about $64 million in contrast to the $410 million that was axed from the previous year’s $82.4 billion budget.

Gov. Rick Scott

Pasco County got most of the items on its wish list, including $15 million for the Overpass Road interchange at Interstate 75, and $4.3 million for the Thomas Varnadoe Forensic Center for Research and Education located at the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center.

The city of Zephyrhills also will receive $1 million for the proposed Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center, $5.9 million for upgrades at the municipal airport, and $750,000 for a road study.

“They are a great boost to us in improving our area,” said Zephyrhills City Manager Steve Spina. “It’s very helpful. We’re just really pleased.”

Overall, Pasco County did much better in 2019 than 2018. Several projects that were cut previously made it safely through the budget process this year.

The new budget becomes effective July 1.

The redesigned Overpass Road interchange is a high priority for Pasco as part of an evolving road network to handle growth along the Connected City corridor. The 7,800 acres within the corridor’s district includes new developments, such as Epperson and Mirada. But, more residential and commercial projects are expected to bring new residents, and a more urbanized landscape to northeastern Pasco.

A monument sign was unveiled on May 12, 2017 at a dedication ceremony for the Adam Kennedy Forensics Field. The ‘body farm’ is part of a project to build a forensics research and training center next to Pasco County’s jail. Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a funding request for the project last year, but approved it this year. (File)

The forensic center is a joint venture with Pasco County, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Pasco-Hernando State College and the University of South Florida’s Institute for Forensics and Applied Science.

Construction on the multi-building campus is expected to begin in late summer or early fall, according to Chase Daniels, assistant executive director at the sheriff’s office.

Research already is underway at the Adam Kennedy Forensic Field, also known as a body farm.

The city of Zephyrhills will receive funds for several projects, including the planned regional tennis center. A management company for the facility is in place.

The approximately $3.4 million project is in planning stages. The city’s city council was expected to approve a contract for the design at its meeting on March 26.

The funds for the airport will help pay for extending the runway, building an internal road and expanding hangar capacity.

A planning and engineering study will look at extending State Road 56 to U.S. 301, State Road 39 and Chancey Road.

“That would make it kind of a bypass,” said Spina.

The biggest loss in the governor’s veto items is the $4.7 million requested for the Morningside Drive extension in Dade City. Scott cut the funds, citing in a budget letter that the project didn’t go through proper evaluation protocol.

This rendering of the Zephyrhills Tennis Center shows 10 courts (eight clay, two hard surface), three mini-courts and one exhibition court. The tennis center is also expected to feature a pro shop, a multifunctional community room, and two office spaces. A second level, if added, will contain an observation deck, players lounge and concessions. (File)

It was one of a handful of road projects rejected for the same reason.

Officials with Bayfront Health Dade City are eager to see the extension built. Funding hasn’t been available through Dade City’s budget, so state funding was sought.

The project would link U.S. 301 to King Fort Road, where the hospital is located. Hospital officials have said the extension would improve access to the hospital’s campus.

State Rep. Danny Burgess said funding would be requested again for fiscal year 2020.

“It is a critical game-changer for the Dade City community,” said Burgess in a text message to The Laker/Lutz News.

Other Pasco County projects included in the 2019 budget are:

  • $1 million for a planning and engineering study for the U.S. 301/U.S. 98/Clinton Avenue intersection realignment.

The goal is to improve east-west traffic from I-75 to the west and Interstate 4 to the south.

  • $250,000 for the Veteran’s Alternative which aids veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury
  • $50,000 for AmSkills, a program that aids high school students, adults, and veterans seeking manufacturing jobs

Published March 28, 2018